Demountable scaffold unit and clamps therefor



March 4, 1958 P. H. WATTS 2,825,607

DEMOUNTABLE SCAF'FOLD UNIT AND CLAMPS THEREFOR Filed Aug. 23. 1954 INVENTOR. Pa u] HWa f f s "'5 'nited States DEMOUNTABLE SCAFFOLD UNIT AND CLAMPS THEREFOR Paul Hayden Watts, Tacoma, Wash., assignor of one-half to Eugene D. Farley, ,iPortland, Greg.

ApplicationAugust 23, 1954, Serial No. 451,530

4 Claims. (Cl. 304-40) This invention relates to a=demountable scaffold and clamps therefor of the character employed -for supporting men and materials at an-elevation from the ground,

as in the construction :and maintenance of buildings It isthe primary object of this invention to provide ascafioldunit which'may be constructed from random pieces of structural material, and then demounted or mountable scafiold unit whichvmay be used on uneven ground.

It is another object of this-invention to provide a demountable scaffold unit which is safe in use, the component parts being interlocked moresecurely with increasing load.

.It is another object of this invention to provide a demountablescaffold unit the component parts of which do not bind together upon application of a heavy load and which consequently may be disassembled readily.

It is another object of this invention to provide a demountable scafiold unit-which is safe, light, compact and easily portable.

It isanother object of this invention .to providea demountable scafiold unit which is applicable .either as a portable unit or as one fixed to rigidstructural members of a building.

It is still another object of this invention to provide grips or clamps for use in the assembly of scafiold units having the aforementioned desirable characteristics.

The manner in which the above and other objects of this invention are accomplished will be apparent from the accompanying specification and claims, considered together with the drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the presently described demountable scafiold unit;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the presently described demountable scaffold unit in a second embodiment;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one form of clamp or grip which may be employed in the fabrciation of the presently described demountable scafiold unit; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views, respectively, of second and third alternate forms of clamping or gripping means which may be used in the assembly of the presently described demountable scaffold unit.

As is apparent from a consideration of Fig. 1 of the drawings, the scaffold unit of this invention, in one of its embodiments, may be applied as a portable unit for use in supporting men and materials working adjacent the wall of a building or other structure. The scaffold unit is employed to support a plank 12 of suitable length and dimensions. The unit itself includes a vertically disposed standard 14, a substantially horizontal support arm 16, and a pair of supporting legs 18, 20, positioned in crossed relation to each other. It will, of course, be

2,825,607 Patented Mar. 4, 19,58

2. apparent that two such units may be required, onefor each end of the plank, unless alternate, provision is made for supporting one end of thesame. All of these members may comprise random pieces of scrap-material, or scrap 2 x 4s, which usually are available on a construction site.

The scaffold unit is supported in a'combination support and clamp member, the construction of which is particularly evident from Fig. 3. It is indicated generally by the numeral 22 and includes a pocket or-socket portion 24 which may conveniently be formed .fromJa piece of reversely bent sheet metal. Straps 26, 28 may be provided across the open sides-of the bentpiece. to provide a pocket which will support the lower end of standard 14.

Attached to the upper portion of the pocket member 22 are a pair of encircling grip means or clamps 30,32 which have for their function receiving and gripping releasably the upper ends of :legs 18 and 20. .Accordingly, they may be formed as complete rings,.if is desired, the ends of the legs then being slipped through the rings to-the desired position.

Preferably, however, the grip members .are not completely closed in order to permit the insertion of the legs sidewise, which may, in some instances, be more convenient. Thus in the illustrated form, grip member 30 comprises the back segment 34, the side segments 36, 38 formed substantially at right angles to the back segment, and the tabs 40, 42 formed substantially at right angles to the side segments and directed toward each other. Grip member 32 may, of course,-be constructed in an, analogous manner.

The distance between side segments 36, 38 and the width of the opening between tabs ,40,,42 is such that the clamp will receive a 2 x 4 or other structural'memberinserted through the opening and'theninclined-ato the desired angle until it is engaged and gripped .by the side walls and edges of theclampto providefthe desired support.

To secure standard 14 and legs18,;;20-re1easably-in position in the support and clamp member .22, -particularly where it is .desired to move the-assembly from place to place, means are provided for interengagingthe clamp and the structural members. In he illustrated form, such means comprise nails or rscrews inserted through the openings 50 in the support. members.

The means employed for-releasably fixingthej-horizontal arm 16 to the upperportion of,standard.14.is illustrated particularly in Fig. 4. Such means, indicated generally at 52, preferably comprise a pair of substantially coplanar grip members 54, 56 which may be formed integrally with each other, or as separate units welded together back to back. Each grip member includes a back segment 58, a pair of end segments 60, 62 and a pair of tabs 64, 66 which define the width of the opening provided for insertion of the structural member. Nail holes 70 also are provided for the purpose of tacking the clamp to the structural members. As in the case of support clamp 22, clamp 52 is dimensioned to receive the structural members through the openings between the tabs, the structural members then being inclined until they engage and are gripped by the side walls and edges of the clamp.

An alternate form of clamp is illustrated in Fig. 5. It comprises simply a closed band 71, preferably rectangular in longitudinal cross section, and including the side walls 72, 74, '76 and 78. These have nail holes for the above described purpose of temporarily affixing the clamp to the structural members. The band is dimensioned to receive a pair of structural members positioned side by side but at an angle to each other so that they engage and are gripped by the side walls and sembly.

ard, which may be of scrap lumber of suitable length, first is inserted in pocket 24. Legs 18 and 20 then are inserted in grip member, 30, 32 and placed in crossed relationship to each other to form a supporting leg as- If desired, these structural members may be nailed in place. Then horizontal arm 16 and the upper portion of standard 14 are placed in clamp 52 or ring 71, angled to the desired extent and nailed in place. Two of the resulting scaffold units then may be inclined against wall 10, and the plank 12 placed across the supporting arms to form a secure scafiold.

It is a particular feature of the present invention that not only is it suitable for the erection of a scaffold to v be leaned against a wall or other surface, but also that it may be applied to the erection of a scaffold on the studs of a building under construction, these being se- This application is illustrated in cured rigidly in place. Fig. 2. In this application, a pair of clamps 52 is used to encircle and grip horizontal support arms 80 and spaced apart studs 82, releasably interlocking them. Such an application is possible because the openings on both sides of the clamps are dimensioned so that the structural members may be inserted through the openings. Then by angling the clamps in the indicated manner, gripping engagement of the structural members with the clamp is secured. Accordingly, a supporting plank 84 may be placed across the support arms.

Thus it will be apparent that by the present invention I have provided a demountable scafiold unit and clamps therefor, which is easily assembled and used. It may be used on uneven ground by suitable adjustment of the supporting legs. its height may be adjusted readily. It is safe in use because the more weight that isplaced upon it, the more securely the clamps grip the structural members, further interlocking the units. Still further, it

may be assembled from random scraps of structural material, available on almost any construction site, so that the only articles which need be purchased and carried about from place to place are the clamps used for gripping the structural members.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention herewith shown and described, are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A demountable scafiold clamp comprising support means for receiving and supporting the end portion of a fist structural member, attached to the support means a first grip member dimensioned for confining and gripping a second structural member, and attached to the support means a second grip member dimensioned for confining and gripping a third structural member, the second grip member being opposite the first grip memher, and the second and third structural members being positioned in crossed relation to each other.

2. A demountable scaffold clamp comprising pocket means for receiving the end portion of a substantially vertical structural member, associated with the pocket means a first grip member dimensioned for receiving and gripping a second structural member, and attached to the pocket means a second'grip member dimensioned for receiving and gripping a third structural member, the second grip member being opposite the first grip member and substantially coplanar therewith.

3. A demountable scaffold unit comprising in combination a substantially vertical standard, a substantially horizontal support arm, and a pair of crossed legs, socket means receiving the lower end portion of the standard, attached to the socket means a first encircling grip member substantially enclosing and gripping the upper end of one of the legs, attached to the socket means a second grip member substantially enclosing and gripping the upper end of the other leg, the second grip member being positioned opposite the first grip member, and grip means dimensioned to releasably interlock an end of the support arm with the upper portion of the standard.

4. The demountable scalfold unit of claim 3 wherein the grip means comprises a first substantially rigid grip member dimensioned to receive and grip the upper portion of the standard and a second substantially rigid grip member dimensioned to receive and grip an end of the support arm, the second grip member being attached to the first grip member and substantially coplanar therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

